Between Roses
by DidiMalloy
Summary: In between nature, our wildest instincts awake. A two-shot E/C First Chapter Edited


A sin, such dark sin. A burning sin of a burning desire. My skin certainly blazed as I laid there, breathing uneven, with only his silken cape curled partially around my torso, my naked breasts being graced with the breeze of the night as he curled around me and kissed my neck. My fingers reached out to play with the soft grass and I exhaled a long sigh.

It had started as a late afternoon, passed in one of the gardens around the Opera. I was merely strolling around and I could feel him watching. I was sure he knew that I knew of his presence and I felt truly thrilled. This game of ours was no longer one in which he would come along to protect me as I simply viewed him as my holy angel. Now we actually played together. Even if subtly so.

Walking down to the nearest pond, I sat down silently. The sun had yet to set and I smiled at the view. The garden was filled with the most exotic nature. Not only the plants that varied in color and shape but also the sounds. The melody of never ending life sung out by birds and mysterious whistling. I grinned. He was closer now. In fact so close that when I looked to my side there was his mark. A rose. Along with a note written in the slightly childish handwriting.

"Mademoiselle should not stroll around on her own, Erik gets worried."

I giggled and my eyes wandered through the garden. No one was there, the people had already retired and the ones left could not be seen whatsoever. In front of me the sun slowly descended, turning the sky into an ocean of orange and purplish tones which danced together majestically, twisting into each other in a never ending motion. My appreciation of the view was however interrupted by a hand on my shoulder.

- Salut, dear Monsieur. - I chanted with a smile and I could feel his hand relaxed, almost petting me in wonder or fascination. Which had happened before, an action which intrigued me a lot.

- You worried Erik by going out without saying anything. - He slid beside me and I giggled lightly once more.

- I knew you were watching over me. - I tilted my head innocently. - I wanted you to come along.

His eyes sparkled with a hint of curiosity. Erik had certainly became more alive since our last talk about the mask. I had questioned him and he answered truthfully, but he had yet to show me what he named to be his terrible secret. - And why exactly did Christine wanted Erik to come here?

I simply smiled and looked forward, to the hills. Then, I proceeded to do what I had been planning on. I took his hand. And after pretending I didn't feel him almost jump at that, we joined to watch the sun set together. - I wanted to watch the night fall. With you.

Now that I think of it, my plan was rather innocent to what ended up happening that afternoon. We were quiet for a while. It felt good and I smiled all the way through, when I looked at him, his lips where forming a thin line, which meant he was not sure of what to do at the current moment.

I had been studying that face for a while now. I could name almost every emotion that I had seen pass through him, which, let's be fair, was something hard to do due to his lack of emotions whatsoever.

- Erik? - He seemed to be lost in thought when he looked at me, his lips now forming an upward twist. - Thank you.

- What for, Christine? - I heard him whisper after awhile.

- For everything Erik. You are amazing. - I realized we were closer now than ever before. Sat beside one another, hands held together. The only other times we could be so close were when he took me and made me sit beside him as he played the organ for me.

This moment was different. We were just there, beside each other, doing nothing other than watching; watching time go by as life happened. We stared into each other's eyes and I smiled. Then… I giggled. He looked at me and arched his eyebrows in a gentle frown. The fact is, I just have a horrid habit to start giggling in the most quiet moments.

- Oh forgive me, Erik. - I managed to say when the fits came to an end. - I'm not always very proper… - As I smiled at him, my body decided to move boldly on its own, as if for pure instinct, and I leaned into him. I felt him tense almost immediately but when I shifted again I could feel his head sunk slightly into my curls and I heard him breath in softly.

I had giggled because all of this felt so normal. And to have a normal moment with Erik was rare. Not because he wasn't normal, but because he sort of refused to accept himself as such. This was one of the most normal things we had ever done.

Then I had realized this was something any couple would do. And by realizing that, I was also realizing I viewed us as a couple now. At least some sort of couple. I wondered what he would think about that. And that was the main cause of my giggling. I had no idea how he would react at all. And as the little curious thing I was, I really wanted to find out.

I was against his chest, I could feel his torso better than ever before and it was delightful to realize Erik, unlike what others might think of his frail appearance, was extremely strong. I could feel his muscles under the thin poet shirt and the detailed trails of his chest. No wonder, if we think about the way he could move around in the opera.

We stayed quiet for a long time. After coming out of my bubble of thought, I looked at him. His eyes were closed and a tear was visible, falling through his unmasked cheek. I tilted up to kiss it away and felt him shiver softly.

- Uhmm… - He grunted. I liked the sound of his grunt. It was just sort of… grumpy.

- Something wrong? - I smiled, watching him carefully.

- No. - He opened his eyes softly to look at me. - Not wrong.

- Enjoying the moment then? - I chuckled, looking into his deep yellowish eyes. Their subtle light had always fascinated me to no end.

- Yes. - His eyes seemed to be distracted away from mine and moved into my lips, making me smile again.

- How do you feel about it? - I tilted my head curiously.

- It's… unusual. Erik is not… used to intimacy. - He said and just looked at me again. Those eyes were so deep that I swear they could almost read my soul. Then I noticed, very delicate, in the corner of his eyes, a hint of sorrow.

- Is there something wrong, Erik? - He shook his head and looked away. Into the sunset, the sky was now a darker shade of purple with its reds and yellows waltzing in the wind. His lip turned and twisted in doubt. - You can tell me. - I assured him.

- You… wouldn't do this. If you saw. - At first I didn't understand what he had meant but then it struck me. It was literally staring me right in the face. The mask. Oh and that came really close to actually hurt me. That damned piece of dark velvet almost mocked me. Right there and then I started to almost loath it.

- Then just… take it off. - I whispered.

**The author would appreciate if you took a moment to review.**


End file.
